SEH America Receives Environmental Excellence Awards

June 7, 2000

The Association of Washington Businesses (AWB) presented SEH America an award for Environmental Excellence in the Overall Winner category for firms with 100 or more employees at their Ninth Annual awards ceremony yesterday.

SEH America recorded notable achievements in 1999 en route to receiving this award including: a 25% increase in recycling revenue, a 25% reduction of waste disposal costs, and a 10% increase in the amount of waste diverted from the landfill. Additionally, the company found a secondary use for more than 1.2 million pounds of silicon sludge that would have otherwise been sent to landfill.

"This recognition is an honor," said Jim Ingraham, the company’s Safety, Environmental and Quality Director. "It serves as an example of our overall environmental excellence. And, it showcases the efforts and commitment of all employees who have played a part in increasing recycling, reducing waste, preventing pollution, and conserving water."

Bob Patterson, Waste Reduction Specialist with Clark County Department of Public Works, nominated SEH America for the AWB award.

In May, SEH America also placed second in the 1999/2000 Washington State Department of Ecology Pollution Prevention and Recycling Award competition.

SEH America, Inc. is part of the largest producer of semiconductor silicon in the world, Shin-Etsu Handotai, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo. SEH-A is the only U.S. manufacturing facility in the Shin-Etsu Handotai Group, part of the Shin-Etsu Chemical Corporation of Japan. The Shin-Etsu group is more than one hundred companies producing everything from silicon wafers to plastics.

SEH-A’s Vancouver, Washington facility employs more than 1,650 people who work to manufacture single-crystal silicon ingots, polished and epitaxial wafers, and who provide service and engineering support for customers.

For further information contact:
Director, Human Resources
SEH America, Inc.
(360) 883-7000